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What do ya'll do with washer fluid when traveling to a sub freezing area for a trip?

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In California its impossible to get anything that wont freeze below 32F. Im going to an area for a roadtrip for a few days where daytime will be around 30F and night time aroud 17F. Not sure what to do about the washer fluid. Just drain it? Or are Teslas modern enough to where the reservouir wont crack if it freezes?

Cant buy the below 32F stuff anywhere.
 
In California its impossible to get anything that wont freeze below 32F. Im going to an area for a roadtrip for a few days where daytime will be around 30F and night time aroud 17F. Not sure what to do about the washer fluid. Just drain it? Or are Teslas modern enough to where the reservouir wont crack if it freezes?

Cant buy the below 32F stuff anywhere.

I don’t think you will have a problem with those temperatures, it would be highly unusual for the reservoir to crack .
 
At that temperature the reservoir will probably not crack but the summer fluid will freeze and you will not be able to use it, if you encounter snow and need to wash off the road spray you might wind up with a smeared windshield and you don't what that, it would be safer to empty the summer fluid and replace it with winter -40 fluid for the trip.
 
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There’s nothing unusual about a Tesla’s wiper fluid than anybody else’s. Many moons ago with Virginia bought wiper fluid dot caught out in Chicago where it was well below freezing, with salt and slush all over.

Auto parts places up that way very definitely sold the cold stuff. I’m not sure, but I seem to remember an ‘anti-freeze’ can of something-or-other that one could buy at auto parts stores that would take plain water and make it good to -20 or so.

The obvious thing to do, in your case, would to get an oil drain pan and a long, 1/4” piece of plastic tubing. Fill the reservoir in the car to the top with plain water and the tube likewise. Holding thumbs over both ends of the tube, plunge one end into the reservoir until it hits bottom, then put the other end into the oil drain pan or suitable receptive on the ground, and siphon all of it out of there.

Then put the cold weather stuff in there, clean the wipers a couple of times, and you should be good to go.

DO NOT suck on the end of the tube to start the siphon. That stuff is seriously poisonous. Dispose of the old stuff, I dunno, down a drain (it’s not oil) but not onto the street or an aquifer.

When the SO and I got stuck with seriously clogged wipers, I remember getting the good stuff and filling it up. But the stuff inside had to thaw first. We found a Sears Auto at a mall and very politely explained our predicament, loaded car (and a cat) and all, and asked if we could park for 30 minutes. After a dubious look, the guy agreed, it worked, and we were on our way.
 
I ran into this problem in Texas during a blizzard. Very annoying. Couldn't drive as the slightly liquid fluid would squirt and freeze on the windshield. I had to stop frequently and scrap it off. Make sure you have a good ice scraper. Stopped at three auto stores, none had antifreeze windshield cleaner. WTF???
 
There are additives you can to add to your existing washer fluid to lower the freezing temperature. Unfortunately, California regulators prevent us from getting the good stuff.
Also, if nothing else you can use some IPA in the washer fluid to prevent it from freezing.
 
high test is available in the Mountain Counties so you might just pick up a jug at a local mini mart or parts supply store.

 
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In California its impossible to get anything that wont freeze below 32F. Im going to an area for a roadtrip for a few days where daytime will be around 30F and night time aroud 17F. Not sure what to do about the washer fluid. Just drain it? Or are Teslas modern enough to where the reservouir wont crack if it freezes?

Cant buy the below 32F stuff anywhere.
There is always this…


IMG_1864.jpeg
 
The enviro-nazis in CA have outlawed the sale of anti-freeze washer fluid in all but a few mountain counties due to evaporative emissions from anti-freeze. All you can buy is basically colored water, possibly with some environmentally-correct detergent in it. If you drive to very cold places, your washer fluid system will freeze up until it is back in warm enough temperatures to thaw out. This affects ICE cars just as much as EVs.

You can, however, sometimes purchase washer fluid booster from a California auto parts store if you can find it.


This brings up the freezing point.

If you add it to your fluid reservoir, be sure to drive around a bit before entering freezing areas to mix it with the water in your system and run the washer a few times to ensure it is in the tubes and nozzles.
 
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In California its impossible to get anything that wont freeze below 32F. Im going to an area for a roadtrip for a few days where daytime will be around 30F and night time aroud 17F. Not sure what to do about the washer fluid. Just drain it? Or are Teslas modern enough to where the reservouir wont crack if it freezes?

Cant buy the below 32F stuff anywhere.
You can get washer fluid booster at Walmart.

There are probably similar products available at your local auto parts store. As mentioned, make sure it is well mixed and primed into your nozzles before you actually enter freezing conditions.

Getting premixed however probably is harder unless you are in areas that frequently snow. As pointed out, too many people were using it unnecessarily and making it separate and only available premixed in certain counties likely greatly reduces the amount of it being used.
 
Those damn nazis, trying to keep the air for ~40 million people breathable. Don’t wanna gas them before we’re good and ready. 🙄

You can certainly buy it where you’re going as it’s readily available in areas of California where it regularly freezes.

Run the tank down low, buy a gallon when you get there from literally any gas station or auto parts store, and pour it in. Doesn’t get much easier.
Sounds like you're smuggling it back home to spew it around :)
It must be a bit uncomfortable to have to run it down before it freezes though.
 
Sounds like you're smuggling it back home to spew it around :)
I live in a zip code where it's available/needed.

It must be a bit uncomfortable to have to run it down before it freezes though.
I've not had to deal with such a thing on any of my Teslas but can readily imagine any number of simple ways to get the existing fluid out of the reservoir with stuff I've got laying around the house.
 
I live in a zip code where it's available/needed.


I've not had to deal with such a thing on any of my Teslas but can readily imagine any number of simple ways to get the existing fluid out of the reservoir with stuff I've got laying around the house.
Yeah, plenty of ways to do it. Cheapest way is to buy a few dollars worth of clear hose, fill the hose with water, plug one end, put open end it all the way into the reservoir, then have the plugged end into a bucket on the ground. As long as the open end of the hose is lower than the reservoir, the siphon effect will help it drain out.

Like what this video shows:

If you have a wet vac, that is probably the quickest way:

It's a useful tip for if you end up putting the wrong fluid in the reservoir (as the linked people did).